Volunteering at the 8th ASEAN Para Games is exciting and life-changing. You have the satisfaction of knowing you have made an impact on the community while gaining valuable experience by being involved in the 8th ASEAN Para Games. You will also be able to :

* Learn more about how a major regional sport event for persons with disabilities is organised and gain a new perspective about the world.* Have the opportunity to be part of the ASEAN Para Games held in Singapore for the first time.* Have the opportunity to interact with athletes, officials and people from all walks of life and to forge friendships with them.* Be one of the first to see all the sporting action within a real-time environment.* Attend training relevant to your assigned roles, including briefings and venue familiarization tours to make sure you are familiar with protocol, rules of game, policies and procedures.* Meal and uniform during execution of duties, as well as a Certificate of Appreciation after the Games.

Theresa Goh cannot remember a time when her body was not aching from training.

For someone who has spent her last 16 years as a competitive swimmer, all she can recall is the intense muscle soreness every time she climbs out of the pool.

"I was basically sore the whole time," the 28-year-old said. "Soon, I just got used to the soreness and after a while, I just could not remember what it was like not to be sore."

Few outside her circle of relatives and friends can understand the daily strains that an elite athlete is under. Furthermore, Goh is a para-athlete - and so she has to battle far more misconceptions than most able-bodied sportsmen.

"I think disability sports have to fight the stigma that they are only for rehabilitation purposes," she said.

"But we go through a lot of the same things that able-bodied athletes go through - early mornings, long trainings, tired bodies - although the way we train may not look the same.

"When it comes down to competition day, we also get nervous and sometimes have to deal with psyching ourselves up.

"So while some of us may look a little more different, we are still doing essentially the same things."

She is not alone in that thought. Goalball athlete Ong Hock Bee, 50, identifies a common misconception "that people with disabilities are not active in sports and do not, least of all, excel."

However, he is positive that the upcoming Asean Para Games from Dec 3-9 will help prove otherwise.

Singapore is hosting the Games for the first time, and is sending its largest-ever contingent - 145 athletes - to compete in 14 out of the 15 sports on offer.

Local para-athletes are eagerly anticipating the event, ready to showcase their sports to the Singapore public.

However, they are also aware of the challenge of attracting public attention to a Games with sports and rules that are not as widely known.

As Lim Teck Yim, chairman of the Singapore Asean Para Games Organising Committee, said in July at a Games sponsorship signing event: "We need to raise awareness on the sports that are going to be played, the rules of the games.

"The occasion of the Para Games will enable Singaporeans to understand how our athletes have risen above their disabilities to stand there and perform with the same tenacity that we see in all sports."

Lim's words resonated with Ong as he aims to change the public's perceptions of sportsmen with disabilities through the Games.

He said: "I hope the public can show the same support that they had given to the recent SEA Games, because even though we are labelled para-athletes, we don't compromise in our dedication and spirit in the pursuit for sporting success."

It is such a desire for public support and acceptance that drives these athletes to shine brighter.

Goh - who has participated in all seven previous Asean Para Games - said: "My teammates and I sometimes get recognised by the public, and they usually give us words of encouragement.

Try your hand at 5 different para sports - Boccia, Goalball, Football 5-a-side, Table Tennis & Wheelchair Basketball - that will feature at the upcoming 8th Asean Para Games. Participate in our activities and stand a chance to win exclusive 8th ASEAN Para Games premiums when you complete the tasks at the booths.

Have fun at the kids’ zone with balloon sculpting, arts & craft and more!

Take pictures with Team Singapore athletes and Nila, our lovable sport mascot who will be making an appearance at the roadshow.

There will also be lucky draws where we will be giving attractive prizes away!

Come on down to the Choa Chu Kang Sport Centre for a fun-filled weekend for the family!

Singapore will be hosting the ASEAN Para Games for the first time. Take this chance to learn what para sports is about!

Asean Para Games athletes to use public trains to reach venues...Oct 8, 2015

Public trains will be the primary mode of transport for athletes during December's Asean Para Games, to take them from the Games Village at Marina Bay Sands (MBS) to the Singapore Sports Hub and vice versa.

The unconventional arrangement - which has drawn some criticism and could see athletes with disabilities jostling for spots on the MRT with other commuters, especially during rush hour - was planned to give athletes and officials ease of mind when it comes to travelling.

But perhaps just as important, the Singapore Asean Para Games Organising Committee (Sapgoc) added, is the opportunity to promote "a spirit of inclusiveness" where commuters and athletes with disabilities will share common space.

Said Sapgoc chairman Lim Teck Yin: "This was part of the overall concept of the Games from the start. The community with disabilities was consulted and it, as well as the Asean Para Sports Federation and the Singapore Disability Sports Council, welcomed the idea."

All 3,000 athletes and officials from 11 countries will be housed at MBS. The hotel is linked to the Circle Line's Bayfront station, three stops away from Stadium station.

Organisers say travel times will be shorter by train than by chartered buses. But while trains will be the preferred mode of transport to the Sports Hub, chartered transport will still be provided for athletes competing at other venues around the island. Athletes and officials taking the train will be given Cepas cards with stored value and have chaperones accompanying them to competition venues.

However, the unorthodox move - made known to team managers during a meeting with organisers last week - has led some to question its practicality, particularly for athletes with mobility and visual disabilities.

With eight of the 15 sports on offer being played at the Hub, some athletes fear they might be late for their events if the trains are crowded or their equipment cannot fit on board.

Asian Para Games gold medallist sailor Jovin Tan noted that, as hosts, Singapore should ensure all athletes are rested to shine on the regional stage. "Instead, we could be worrying over how to get to the venue, or how we will return to the hotel sweaty and tired after competing, and possibly jostling for space with office crowds."

A Philippine Paralympic official, who declined to be named, expressed concern that athletes who travel separately from their contingent could get lost. "We don't need missing or late athletes on top of the usual issues we have to deal with during major sporting events."

Others were displeased that the Games - now into its eighth edition but which Singapore is hosting for the first time - will not have a full-fledged shuttle bus system as seen during June's SEA Games.

In his statement, Mr Lim said shuttle buses will be provided to those who are "unable to take the Circle Line". But exactly who falls under this classification was not defined nor explained.

Mr Baey Yam Keng, Parliamentary Secretary for Culture, Community and Youth, said the Games serve a larger purpose - that of assimilating and integrating the public with athletes with disabilities. "The idea of inclusiveness is something we should be open about. If the athletes are seen in public, we can raise awareness of the Games and expose them to the athletes' way of life."

Asean Para Games: Athletes have a choice if they don't want to take the MRT, say organisers...Oct 8, 2015

A day after saying that the MRT will be the primary mode of transport during the Dec 3-9 Asean Para Games (APG), organisers have clarified that public trains are just one option for athletes to take at the event.

At a hastily-arranged press briefing on Thursday (Oct 8), Singapore Asean Para Games Organising Committee (Sapgoc) chairman Lim Teck Yin said shuttle buses will be provided for athletes, while there will also be shuttle services for movement within the Kallang cluster.

"I won't be disappointed if the athletes don't take the train in the end," he said. "It's their choice and we must respect it."

He also said that Team Singapore athletes had not been briefed on the transport plan, as an announcement was planned at a joint training camp next month.

The Straits Times broke the news on Thursday that athletes and officials will use the MRT to shuttle between the Games Village at Marina Bay Sands and the Singapore Sports Hub in Kallang, where eight of the 15 sports on offer will be played. Mr Lim had told ST on Wednesday that the trains will be the "primary mode of transport for athletes and officials".

All 3,000 athletes and officials from 11 countries will be housed at MBS. The hotel is linked to the Circle Line's Bayfront station, three stops away from the Stadium station.

Mr Lim, who is also chief executive officer of Sport Singapore, sought to dispel any notion that para athletes are treated unfairly vis-a-vis the able-bodied athletes who featured at the SEA Games in June.

He said: "I hope the public understands that we are not treating para athletes as second-class citizens.

"If anything, you will see from the facts that we are actually doing more as far as transport operations are concerned," he added.

In a meeting with Singapore Disability Sports Council (SDSC) officials last week, team managers were told that public trains would be the primary mode of transport for the biennial meet, which Singapore is hosting for the first time.

Mr Lim said the SDSC did not inform him about the briefing, which he added was "their own prerogative".

The unconventional transport arrangement sparked criticism online, with many worried that athletes with disabilities will be jostling for spots on the train with other commuters, especially during rush hour.

Speaking during a visit to the Singapore Land Authority earlier on Thursday, Culture, Community and Youth Minister Grace Fu said that the welfare of athletes and officials is the "top concern", while noting that the important message of the APG is "inclusiveness, how do we bring the Games, and how do we bring the athletes to the bigger community".

Ms Fu added: "I think having the athletes incorporated in our public transport system, having our volunteers help them in getting to the venues, actually would show the spirit of the Games to its fullest.

"I'd like to work with the associations better and also have a discussion with the athletes."

Jalan Besar GRC MP and president of the Autism Resource Centre Denise Phua said: "We should be proud of our athletes with special needs and they should be seen and heard in public. Hence, the idea to have them travel in public where appropriate.

"However, we need to be athlete-centred as well and if they choose or need specially arranged transport, they can exercise the choice to do so.

"After putting in so much investments in the Asean Para Games, and led by a minister (no less), it is unlikely that the organisers would make decisions that are not inclusive or inconsiderate of the needs of the special athletes."

Affectionately known as “Mummy” or “Auntie” to Singapore’s boccia team, Linda Foo exudes a distinct aura of dependability as she busies herself around the court, portraying the very picture of a caring and reliable guardian.

An in-depth knowledge of the para sport, coupled with years of experience, the 49-year-old functions not just as a caregiver to her daughter Koh Kai Hui, a member of the national boccia squad. She also holds the official appointment of Sports Assistant, and is responsible for helping the team to set up the training court and assist with their general needs.

In touch with both the para sports scene and the challenges faced in caring for someone with severe disabilities, Linda provided us with some perspectives from her unique position ahead of the 8th ASEAN Para Games (APG), where Kai Hui will earn her stripes as a national athlete.

Kai Hui, an 18-year-old BC1 player, begun playing boccia while studying at the Cerebral Palsy Alliance Singapore School (CPASS), and was invited to join the Singapore Disability Sports Council’s (SDSC) national training sessions three years ago. She has, with Linda by her side, competed in the National Disability League and the 2013 Asian Youth Para Games.

Sharing how she transitioned from supportive parent to team official, Linda expressed that the resolve displayed by the boccia players had inspired her to step up to the challenge.

“Para athletes may not be able-bodied, but they are still determined to achieve so much. So I wanted Kai Hui to get more involved in sports too. At the same time, I also wanted to help the other athletes to achieve their goals and dreams. That’s why I decided to help to grow Singapore’s boccia team,” she explained.

Revealing what she loved best about the sport, she said: “It’s a game that does not place limits on a person, regardless of age and physical ability. It’s also useful in training up your focus, patience, and strategic thinking. I’ve learnt a lot from it!”

“Singaporeans should get to know it better; I try to spread the word as much as I can. Whenever my friends or colleagues ask me about it, I will show them pictures and videos of my daughter playing it.”

Indeed, Linda’s devotion to the sport becomes even more evident when our conversation steers in the direction of the upcoming APG. Juggling a full-time job at the Land Transport Authority with her boccia training sessions, she has begun dedicating more time to the sport in preparation for the meet, even taking half-days off work in order to support the team.

“There is still a lot more that can be done for people with severe disabilities, especially in terms of integration and opportunities. We also need more volunteers,” she noted, commenting that the para athletes would be able to perform better if they were afforded dedicated institutions established in a similar vein to the Singapore Sports School.

“Of course, SDSC has sports for them to engage in, but these are not available in a full-time capacity. I think it would be good to groom the younger athletes and provide the resources needed for team of full-time players.”

Meanwhile, though, Linda is doing the best she can to aid the team in its quest for APG medals. Enthusing about the home ground advantage that they would have come December, she shared: “Actually, I think I’m feeling more excited than Kai Hui is! The opponents are quite strong and I can’t wait to watch Kai Hui go up against them. We really want to make Singapore proud.”

“To be frank, of course I want my daughter to do better than the others, but she still has a long way to go. As a Singaporean, I want the whole team to do well. It doesn’t matter which teammate gets the medals,” she added.

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